WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine,
7-9 November 2008, Beijing, China

Highlights of the first WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine

Representatives of over 70 Member States attended the first WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine. Satellite symposia were held to discuss related technical topics presented by organizations such as the World Self Medication Industry, the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies, the World Federation of Chiropractic and the International Pharmaceutical Federation. In total, approximately 1500 people were present at all the events.

• The "Beijing Declaration" was adopted, promoting the safe and effective use of traditional medicine. It calls on WHO Member States and other stakeholders to take steps to integrate traditional medicine (TM) / complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into national health systems.
• Member States shared national experiences and information in five areas, which will aid countries in taking further action in the future:
• National Policy on TM/CAM
• National Regulation of Traditional and Herbal Medicines
• TM in Primary Health Care
• National Regulation of TM/CAM Practice
• Research on TM/CAM
• Participants visited community health centers, clinics and hospitals of traditional medicine, which are models to show how traditional medicine and western medicine have worked together and how they have been integrated into China's health system.